MILFORD - Local residents crowded Scioli's Pizza Bar Monday evening to raise money for a local girl with a rare blood vessel problem.

The event - which featured a pasta dinner, raffles and live entertainment - was part of a Team Micky Ward effort to raise money for Kayley's Hope, named for 10-year-old Milford resident Kayley Esteves who has midaortic syndrome, a rare medical problem which involves the narrowing of the blood vessel that feeds the abdomen.

Sue Esteves, Kayley's mother, said the girl had undergone an aorta transplant since the diagnosis.

"She had an aneurysm, and she'll have to be watched the rest of her life for aneurysms," she said.

According to the Kayley's Hope website, only 200 cases of the syndrome have been diagnosed. Of those, only 60 have been treated successfully.

Erika Robertson, who helped organize the event, said she had been a part of Team Micky Ward efforts before and, when she heard of Kayley's situation, thought it would be a good local cause for which to raise funds.

Organizers said the entirety of funds raised through ticket sales (at $15 each) would be going toward Esteves' medical bills, with anything left over to be contributed to research on the disease.

Esteves said she had been astonished by the community's response to her daughter's diagnosis.

"It's amazing, all the support we've had since the beginning," she said. "It's an awesome community - you're never alone."

Robertson, who ran the Boston Marathon earlier in the day, was cheered when she entered Scioli's. She said her run had gone well.

"It was great. It was very fast, and very hot," she said. "The city of Boston did a great job - it was well-organized, and everyone felt safe."

Mike Gleason can be reached at 508-634-7546 or mgleason@wickedlocal.com. For news throughout the day, follow him on Twitter @MGleason_MDN.